Building construction

ABSTRACT

A building construction of the type using prefabricated reinforced concrete panels for the internal and external walls and the flooring is provided with a concrete foundation having a sole-piece on which are mounted a plurality of supporting blocks having recesses in which the first level of panel walls are mounted. The panels are positioned in the supporting blocks by pins extending between aligned holes in the recesses and the panels. At their other ends the panels are provisionally connected together by connecting means of various configurations depending on what combination of panels are connected together. Spaces are maintained between adjacent panels into which concrete is poured to make the connection permanent. Additional stories may be added by pins connected between the wall panels of wall panels of adjacent levels. Various seals may be provided between the panels for weather protection and for preventing the escape of concrete during pouring.

United States Patent Trezzini et al.

[ 51 Sept. 26, 1972 [54] BUILDING CONSTRUCTION [73] Assignee: B.C.T.I.Bureau de Coordination de Travaux Industrialises, SARL, Paris, France 22Filed: Feb. 2, 1970 21 Appl. No.: 7,692

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 18, 1969 France ..6903979[52] US. Cl. ..52/293, 52/127, 52/259, 52/274, 52/396, 52/432, 52/437,52/585 [51] Int. Cl. ..E02d 27/00, E04b 1/00, E04c H10 [58] Field ofSearch ..52/294, 293, 299, 234, 431, 52/432, 292, 274, 585

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,561,724 11/1925 Keltner..52/299 1,740,011 12/1929 Evans ..52/234 1,764,001 6/1930 Blanchard..52/294 2,129,211 9/1938 Hickl ..52/294 2,202,745 5/1940 Muse ..52/293X 981,824 1/1911 Veres ..52/293 2,695,159 11/1954 Birdwell ..52/2932,858,031 10/1958 Garmon ..52/432 3,538,654 11/1970 Gerola ..52/2593,543,462 12/1970 Spratt et al. ..52/730 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS166,486 1/1956 Australia ..52/293 68,712 9/1951 Netherlands ..52/432977,667 11/1950 France ..52/274 1,270,034 7/1961 France ..52/5 85657,061 9/1951 Great Britain ..52/293 Primary Examiner-Henry C.Sutherland Attorney-Edwin E. Greigg [57] ABSTRACT A buildingconstruction of the type using prefabricated reinforced concrete panelsfor the internal and external walls and the flooring is provided with aconcrete foundation having a sole-piece on which are mounted a pluralityof supporting blocks having recesses in which the first level of panelwalls are mounted. The panels are positioned in the supporting blocks bypins extending between aligned holes in the recesses and the panels. Attheir other ends the panels are provisionally connected together byconnecting means of various configurations depending on what combinationof panels are connected together. Spaces are maintained between adjacentpanels into which concrete is poured to make the connection permanent.Additional stories may be added by pins connected between the wallpanels of wall panels of adjacent levels. Various seals may be providedbetween the panels for weather protection and for preventing the escapeof concrete during pouring.

4 Claims, 19 Drawing Figures assaoa PATENTED SEP 26 I972 SHEEY 1 [1F 5FIGS PATENTEDSEPZS m2 SHEET 2 (IF 5 BUILDING CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND OFTHE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates abuilding construction of the type formed of prefabricated concretepanels and a method for effecting such a building construction.

2. Description of the Prior Art In known constructions utilizingprefabricated concrete panels, serious problems have arisen in thepositioning of the first level of the building above the foundationwhich is generally the basement of the substructure. More particularlyin apartment house constructions the first level is put into positionwith relatively large tolerances which create a substantial disadvantagein the use of such constructions.

This lack of precision in the positioning of the first level is mostcritical in buildings of great length wherein the resultant buildingmayvary considerably from the specification owing to this large tolerances.Such a lack of precision may substantially increase the cost of theresultant building or render the building unsafe.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is toovercome such disadvantages in the use of prefabricated concrete panelconstructions. It is also an object of the present invention to providea method of construction which is simple to execute and results in timesavings.

An aspect of the invention consists of a method of construction for abuilding having at least one level formed of load-supportingprefabricated concrete panels comprising: providing a foundation ofreinforced concrete having a sole-piece, disposing a plurality ofsupporting blocks on the sole-piece, providing means for guiding,centering and supporting the said panels, placing the said panels inposition on the supporting blocks and connecting the panels thereto bypins, the said panels are then provisionally assembled and concretepoured into cavities disposed at the points of joncture of the panelsforming vertical and horizontal joints to effect a permanent connection.

Another aspect of the invention includes construction elements forcarrying out the method according to the invention comprising supportingblocks with tapering faces and a generally U-shaped recess, the distancebetween the legs thereof increasing slightly towards the free end,therein providing guiding means for the panels, the bottom of the recessproviding a support for the panels and having holes therein forreceiving pins which are adapted to be received in corresponding holesprovided in the lower edges of the said panels.

It can thus be seen that the position of the panels on the supportingblocks is very important to the construction, as well as the position ofthe supporting blocks on the sole-pieces. To precisely achieve thelatter positioning, the invention provides measuring-rods of differentlengths to permit the precise positioning of each supporting blockaccording to the building specifications.

Once the supporting blocks are positioned, and the panels of the firstlevel secured thereto by pins, the panels are precisely in theirrequired position.

According to a further aspect of the invention, connecting means areprovided for provisionally connecting the panels to one another, i.e.,the exterior facade and side panels and the interior panels. Theseconnecting means include at least one connecting member havingpins'fixed to its ends. Different connecting means serve differentpurposes, for example, one type connects the side panels to the facadepanels, another type connects two facade panels to an interior panel,and a further type connects four interior panels which compriseL-shaped, T-shaped and cross-shaped connecting means respectively.

Another feature of the building construction according to the inventioncomprises holes in the upper edges of the panels for receiving pinswhich are adapted in turn to be received in corresponding holes in thelower edges of the panels of the second level.

A further feature of the building construction according to theinvention comprises a seal disposed between adjacent exterior walls toallow for the expansion of the walls as wall as provide a weather-sealtherebetween. The seal includes an almond-shaped hollow body formed ofresilient material, lips disposed at the ends of the body and tonguesextending outwardly from the mid-portion of each side of the body;grooves are disposed in the adjacent lateral edges of adjacent panels inwhich are fitted U-shaped members which include inwardly directedflanges disposed at the ends of the legs thereof, the tongues areadapted to receive and cooperate with the lips in order to provide aneffective seal against rain, wind and the like. Seals at theintersticesbetween panels may be provide to seal the cavities from the loss ofpoured concrete.

The features of the building construction have various benefitsincluding an improvement of insulation, reduction of building defects,and a resultant structure which provides a strong and permanent jointbetween the panels.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other features and advantages of thepresent invention will become apparent from the detailed descriptionwhich follows made by way of example with reference to the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a building constructions according tothe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the foundation illustrating a step inthe construction of the substructure;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a supporting block illustrating itspositioning on the foundation;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the supporting block shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a section of the seating taken along the line V-V of FIG. 4;

FIGS. 6-9 show plan views of various forms of supporting block used inthe building construction according to the invention;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a prefabricated panel for use inpresent building construction;

FIG. 11 is a detail on an enlarged scale of the portion of the panelshown in FIG. 10 and included in the circle A;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of panels supported on the supportingblocks in the present building construction;

FIG. 13 is a plan view, partly in section, illustrating papers supportedon supporting blocks;

FIG. 14 is an elevation view, partly in section, of the panels andsupporting blocks shown in FIG. 13;

FIG. is a perspective view of the walls illustrating provisionalconnection of adjacent panels and the positioning of the panel of thesecond level; a

FIGS. 16 and 17 show, different embodiments -o provisional connectingmembers in perspective; 7

FIG. 18 is a horizontal detail in section taken along the lineXVIII-XVIII of FIG. 1 and illustrates a seal disposed between adjacentexterior panels; and

FIG. 19 is vertical detail in section showing the joiningof panels ofadjacent levels.

FIG. 1 shows a multi-storey building according to the v inventionincluding foundation 10, on which is supported substructure l1 and whichin turn supports the several storeys 12. The uppermost storey has a roof13 supported thereon. The multi-storey building comprises heavyprefabricated reinforced concrete panels. The principal supportingelements being the internal and external walls.

The foundation is best shown in FIG. 2 wherein a sole-piece 15 formed ofcoarse concrete supports supporting'blocks 16 which will be described indetail hereinafter are adapted to receive the vertical panels or wallsof the substructure 17 indicated schematically in chaindotted lines.

The supporting blocks (see'FIGS. 3 5) are formed of concrete and havelateral faces 18 which taper upwardly towards one another in order tofacilitate the removal of the form which defines the base 19 and theupper face 20. The upper face is constructed in order to provideguiding, centering, and provisional assembling means for the panels.Accordingly, suitable recesses and the likeare provided therein.

The block-l6 shown inFIGS. 3-5 is disposed at a corner of the buildingandis adapted to receive portions of two exterior panels of the basementas well as an interior panels perpendicular thereto; accordingly therecess in the upper face is T-shaped in plan view as seen in FIG. 4. Asseen in FIG. 5, the recess is delimited by the upward extending surface22 and the bottom surface 33. Four recessed holes 24-27 are shown in thebottom surface 33. The recesses are downward tapering towards the bottomsurface 33 to provide guiding means for the panels to be receivedtherein.

It is readily apparent that more than one type of block is necessaryinany given building construction in order to accomodate variouscombinations of interior and exterior walls, as well as variations whichmay arise in different types buildings. Accordingly, the embodiments ofFIGS. 6-9 illustrate other types of blocks which are used in thebuilding construction according to the invention illustrated in FIG. 1.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 6 is generally similar to that shown FIGS.3-5 except that it is adapted to receive a fourth panel and therefore isformed as a cross. A pair of recesses 30 and 31 intersect at rightangles at the middle of the die 16. The bottoms of the recesses have awidth which corresponds to that of the panels P to be placed therein.Recessed holes 32 are again provided, the use of these holes will bedescribed below.

FIG. 7 shows a die for receiving two exterior wall panels P, and twointerior wall panels P The interior recess 33 containing'holes '35 issubstantially twice as great as that of the recess 34 which containsholes 36.

FIG. 8 shows a block comprising two recesses 40 and 42 arrangedperpendicular to one another and provided with holes 42 and 43respectively. The width of the recess 40 is substantially twice as greatas the recess 41.

FIG. 9 shows a block 16 generally analogous to the preceding arrangementhaving two recesses 44 and 45 disposed perpendicularto one another andwherein the recess 45 is substantially twice as wide as the recess 44.Recessed holes are again provided in both recesses.

In each one of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 6 9 hooks 46 are embeddedinto the blocks during casting. The hooks 46 are provide to facilitatethe handling of the blocks by a lifting apparatus (not shown). Further,in each of the embodiments the upward extending surfaces narrow theblocks toward their upper surfaces. Moreover, reinforcement of the typeshown in FIG. 3 and indicated by the reference 48 may be provided in theblocks of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 6-9.

The supporting blocks thus formed provide the seatings for receiving andsupporting the interior and exterior wall panels.

The blocks must be positioned on the sole-piece with precision. To thisresult, a system for positioning the dies has been devised includingmembers of a precise length adapted to position any block from a givenstarting point. The system comprises measuring-rods 50 including rods51, and plates 52 with apertures 53 soldered to the ends of the rods.Needless to say the length of the rods are chosen to the requirements ofthe particular building.

In order to position the blocks on the sole-piece, a first block ispositioned more or less arbitrarily providing a starting point fromwhich the rest of the blocks can be positioned by means of a network ofmeasuringrods. Each of the blocks is provided with a bore-hole whichreceives a pin 55, the apertured-plates 52 can then be positioned on thepins 55 between two blocks. Referring to ,FIG. 2, assuming the cornerblock as the starting point, the two adjacent blocks may be positionedsimultaneously by means of the three measuring-rods 50 indicated insolid lines in FIG. 1. With the position of the first three blocksdetermined, the position of any additional adjacent block is determinedby means of two measuring-rods 50. A limited number of measuring rodsare required in that once a block is in position the measuring-rodswhich determined its positionv may be removed to determine the positionof the following blo'ck.

By means of process thus described, a plurality of blocks can e rapidlyput into position with precision 'owing to the simplicity of thismechanical arrangement.

Once all the blocks are in place, the pins 55 are removed from the boredholes so that the prefabricated concrete panels can be positioned in therecesses.

An exterior wall panel for the basement is shown in FIG. 10. This panelis generally rectangular in shape and includes'an exterior face 57 andan interior face 58 which has three recessed edges relative to theexterior face 57 which extends therebeyond. The top and bottom edges 59and 60 are formed to support flooring panels. Accordingly, the upperedge 59 is provided with projecting supporting shoulders adjacent to thelateral edges, hadling hocks 62 and holes 63 located in the vacinity thesaid shoulders. The lower edge 60 is provided with bored holes which areadapted to be aligned with holes 63. With regard to the lateral edges 65and 66, each is provided a plurality of hollowed-out portion 67,extending through these portions are reinforcing members 68 which extendbeyond the lateral faces in order to assure the connections withadjacent pannels when the concrete is poured and hardened. Thisconnection will be discussed in detail hereinbelow.

With regard to FIG. 11, one of the hollowed-out portion of the typeprovided in each of the lateral edges 65 and 66 is shown in detail. Thehollowed-out portion 67 includes a raised linear portion 69 disposed atthe middle of the recess which is connected to irregular pyramoidalrecesses 70 and 71 including faces 72 and 73 at each side thereof. Thefaces 72 and 73 are intended to provide the support surfaces in thevertical plane between adjacent panels,

In order to assembly the panels on the blocks, the blocks along theperiphery of the building are each provided with positioning pins 74(see FIGS. 13 and 14). For the purpose of explanation, the assembly ofthe panels will be considered relative to the panels of the substructurewhich include facade panels 17 exterior side panels 17A and interiorpanel 178. The panels 17, 17A, 17B are disposed in the T-shaped recessesin the blocks, as described hereinabove relative to FIGS. 3-5. The pinsto be received in the interior panel are disposed in holes 24, 26 and 27and the pins to be received in the exterior side panel are disposed onlyin holes 26 and 27.

In order to facilitate the positioning of panels, the positioning ofpanels, the pins are of different lengths so that each panel ispositioned relative to one pin and then another, in such a case thefirst pin acts as a pivot for aiding the positioning of the panelrelative to'the second pin.

After the exterior side panel has been fixed to the blocks to the leftin FIGS. 13 and 14 and after the interior panel 17 B has been fixed tothe block to the right in FIGS. 13 and 14 the upper part of the panels17, 17A and 178 can be provisionally assembled.

The provisional assembly of the panels isbest seen in FIG. 15. Thisassembly is effected by metal or molded connecting means indicatedgenerally by references 75 and 76. The goemetry of these connectingmeans will be determined by the panels to be provisionally assembled.For the provisional connection of the exterior side panel 17A to thefacade panel 17 and L-shaped member having pegs 78 at its ends adaptedto extend into the recess holes 63 provided in the upper edge of thepanels.

In a similar manner the facade panel 17 is provisionally connected tothe interior panel 17B by a T- shaped member 75 formed of members 80 and81 disposed at right angles to one another and pegs 82 at the ends ofthe T-shaped member adapted to extend into the recessed holes 63 in thepanels.

Referring next to FIGS. 16 and 17 two further types of connecting meansare shown, the embodiment shown in FIG. 16 shows a simple element 84 forconnecting two panels together which are not a right angles to oneanother. The elements 84 includes a linear member 85 having pegs 84 and86 fixed at its ends which are adapted to extend into correspondingholes in the panels. FIG. 17 on the other hand shows a connectingelement for connecting four panels disposed at right angles to oneanother. In the embodiment the members 84 and 64A are at right angles toone another and pegs are provided at the ends of these members.

The use of the elements for provisionally connecting the panelsdescribed above can be readily seen by referring to FIG. 12. For exampleat the jointure of four interior panels 173 a connecting element 87 isused. To connect two facade panel to an interior panel the T- shapedconnecting element is employed. And to connect a facade panel to anexterior side panel the L- shaped connecting element 76 is used.

At this stage of the construction, additional panels 90 for thesubstructure or superstructure are brought into alignment relative tothe first level of panels. Referring to FIG. 15, the upper edges of thepanels are provided with pins 91 and 92 disposed in the vertical boredholes in the shoulders 61. The pins 91 and 92 extends out of theshoulders difierent distances in order to facilitate assembling bypivoting the panel about on of the pins into alignment with the other ofthe pins, Once the second level of panels 90 are supported on the firstlevel of panels, the panels 90 can be provisionally connected togetherby connecting elements in a manner as described hereinabove.

The top surface of the interior panels in cooperation with the interiorsurface of the stepped-upper edge of the external panels provide thesupporting surfaces for the floor panels 94 and 95. The panels 94 and 95are provided with a peripheral tapered flange 96 on which are disposedshoulders 97 at predetermined positions.

The floor panels include means for connection with the interior panelson which they are supported comprising connecting loops 98 which areadapted to looped over pins 99 which extend from the upper surface ofthe interior panels. It is noted that there connecting loops 98 serve adual purpose in that they are also used for lifting and handling thefloor panels.

Once the panels are positioned with precision and provisionallyconnected together, cavities between the panels can then be filled withconcrete in order to permanently bind the panels in position. Thepresent building construction includes three types of cavities to befilled with concrete. Cavity C is a vertical space disposed betweenexterior panels. Cavity C is defined by the space between two adjacentvertical panels at different levels and the floor panel adjacent totheir connection. Cavity G is defined by the space between adjacentfloor panels. The cavities are properly sealed off in order to providepermanent connections and prevent the escape of the concrete when it ispoured. There are three types of means for sealing the cavities. A firsttype of means comprises adhesive tape 100 (see FIGS. 13-15 inparticular) which cover the points of connection between adjacentpanels. A second type of means for sealing comprises heavy-duty asphaltfelt 101 disposed in the plane of the joint between adjacent verticalpanels at different levels (see FIG. 19). A third type of means forsealing is disposed between the lateral edges of adjacent exteriorpanels 17 and 17A and comprising a seal which will be described indetail hereinbelow.

The concrete is poured into the various cavities at this stage, Owing tothe reinforcing elements which extend out of the panels as describedhereinabove a permanent secure connection results upon the pouring andhardening of the concrete. Moreover, the hollowed-out portions providedin the lateral edges 65 and 66 are also filled with concrete. When theconcrete hardens the panels are immobilized therein. Further, theclearance between adjacent panels is quite to the minimum possible bymeans of the support surfaces 72 and 73 defining the pyramoidalrecesses.

As can be seen in FIG. 13 the protruding reinforcing members extendinginto the cavities may include U- shaped rod members extending from thepanel 17B and straight rods 68 extending from the ends of the panels 17.Preferably, vertically oriented reinforcing rods are disposed at theupper portion before-pouring.

Considering next FlG. 18, a horizontal section through a pair ofadjacent exterior wall panels shows a vertically oriented sealtherebetween. The faces 110 of the lateral edges 65 and 66 of the panelsare provided with grooves l I 1 which extend along the total height ofthe panels. A substantially U-shaped element 112 formed of resilientplastics material having inward facing flanges 113 disposed at the endsof the legs thereof is embedded in each of the grooves 1 l l.

The space between the two panels 117 is adapted to receive a tubularseal 105 fonned of resilient plastics material and having a hollowcentral portion which is almond-shaped in crosssection. Lips 115 and 116are provided at the ends of the almond-shaped central portion whichengage each of the panels 17. A tongue 118 extends from the mid-portionof each side of the almond-shaped portion into the slot formed betweenthe flanged-ends of the U-shaped members. The tongue 1 18 has enlargedend portion and is of a shape complimentary to that of the flanged-ends.The seal 105 is slid from top to bottom into position in the spacebetween the panels 17. The seal 105 owing to its resiliency and hollowshape can withstand the forces due to the expansion of the panels whichis likely to be produced as well as provide an effective weather seal.

Referring now to FIG. 19, the connection between a pair of verticallyadjacent facade panels 17 is shown in section. The bottom portion of theupper panel is of substantially complimentary shape to that of the topportion of the lower panel. ,A lining 120 is provided alongpart of theupper surface of the lower panel and a sealing member 121 is disposedbetween the lining and the upper panel 90 which is the facade panel ofone of the storeys. This construction is most desirable in that itprevents the entry of both water and wind between the panels and whichcooperate with the layer 122 of insulating material to render thebuilding effective against wind, rain and the like as well as helping tomaintain the controlled temperatured within the building.

It is readily apparent that the invention is not limited to the buildingshown and described herein. The present invention finds application inall types of building construction in which prefabricated panels areemployed even those of single storey construction. Any of theelementsshown or described can be replaced by its equivalent, forexample, the blocks may be grouped in pairs and may be formed of metalas well as concrete.

We jg u l. A U] ding construction comprising prefabricated rectangularconcrete panels juxtaposed in edge to edge relationship alongtheirvertical edges, spaced blocks, each block supporting a pair of saidpanels adjacent their vertical edges, each block having channels on itsupper surface, each channel having a bottom and side walls and receivinga panel, vertically extending holes in the bottom of said channels, pinsextending between said holes and the bottoms of said panels, verticallyextending flange means on said panels forming recesses between adjacentpanels to receive poured concrete, and horizontally extending flanges onthe upper edges of said panels extending from one vertical edge to theother of each of said panels to form a horizontally extending recess forthe reception of poured concrete, and tie members positioned in saidhorizontal recess to hold the upper portions of said panels in position,each tie member comprising vertically extending pins received in holesin the upper edges of said panels and a horizontal member joining saidvertical pins and bridging the vertical joint between said panels.

2. A building construction as claimed in claim I, wherein horizontallyextending reinforcing rods in each of said panels have end portionsextending into said recesses and a pair of indentations in the verticaledges of each panel is adjacent the end of each reinforcing rod, oneindentation being above a rod and the other below a rod, saidreinforcing rods and indentations acting to rigidly key the panels tothe poured concrete.

3. A building construction as claimed in claim 2, wherein eachindentation is formed as an irregular pyramid,the faces of said pyramidsforming supporting surfaces for the panels relative to the pouredconcrete.

4. A building construction as claimed in claim 1, wherein thehorizontally extending flanges are on the exterior of said panels, thebody portions of said panels form a ledge receiving the edges of floorpanels and vertical pins extend between the horizontally extendingflanges and other prefabricated concrete panels above said firstmentioned panels.

I in: v

1. A building construction comprising prefabricated rectangular concrete panels juxtaposed in edge to edge relationship along their vertical edges, spaced blocks, each block supporting a pair of said panels adjacent their vertical edges, each block having channels on its upper surface, each channel having a bottom and side walls and receiving a panel, vertically extending holes in the bottom of said channels, pins extending between said holes and the bottoms of said panels, vertically extending flange means on said panels forming recesses between adjacent panels to receive poured concrete, and horizontally extending flanges on the upper edges of said panels extending from one vertical edge to the other of each of said panels to form a horizontally extending recess for the reception of poured concrete, and tie members positioned in said horizontal recess to hold the upper portions of said panels in position, each tie member comprising vertically extending pins received in holes in the upper edges of said panels and a horizontal member joining said vertical pins and bridging the vertical joint between said panels.
 2. A building construction as claimed in claim 1, wherein horizontally extending reinforcing rods in each of said panels have end portions extending into said recesses and a pair of indentations in the vertical edges of each panel is adjacent the end of each reinforcing rod, one indentation being above a rod and the other below a rod, said reinforcing rods and indentations acting to rigidly key the panels to the poured concrete.
 3. A building construction as claimed in claim 2, wherein each indentation is formed as an irregular pyramid, the faces of said pyramids forming supporting surfaces for the panels relative to the poured concrete.
 4. A building construction as claimed in claim 1, wherein the horizontally extending flanges are on the exterior of said panels, the body portions of said panels form a ledge receiving the edges of floor panels and vertical pins extend between the horizontally extending flanges and other prefabricated concrete panels above said first mentioned panels. 